Orson Welles’ is known as one of cinema’s most legendary actors, writers and directors, with a C.V, that includes directing Citizen Kane and Touch of Evil, producing the War of the Worlds radio drama, adapting several Shakespeare plays into films and, as one of his final roles, voicing the evil and powerful planet eater Unicron in Transformers: The Movie. At the time of his death in 1985, though, he had one unfinished film which will finally see the light of day thanks to producer Frank Marshall and Netflix.
Restoration and completion of The Other Side of the Wind will be overseen by Frank Marshall, a longtime collaborator of Steven Spielberg’s. “I can’t quite believe it, but after 40 years of trying, I am so very grateful for the passion and perseverance from Netflix that has enabled us to, at long last, finally get into the cutting room to finish Orson’s last picture,” Marshall said in a statement.
Starting in 1970, Welles worked on The Other Side of the Wind, a film about the passing of Classic Hollywood and its transformation into New Hollywood during the 1970s with a new generation of actors, directors and the changing times in the entertainment business. The film stars John Huston as director Jack Hannaford who, at the age of 70, is trying to make a career comeback in this new age. The Other Side of the Wind also has a film within a film as Hannaford screens his latest, and possibly final, film. Also starring were Bob Random, Susan Strasberg, Peter Bogdanovich and Oja Kodor.
Welles never fully finished the film due to several financial troubles in the late 70s and 80s, complicated even further by his sudden heart attack. Various attempts have been made over the years by Welles’ friends and other filmmakers to complete the project, but they never got fully off the ground due to a legal debate among his family over who had control of what in his estate. Now that it has finally been settled, we will hopefully soon see Welles’ long-gestating project completed.
Originally published March 15, 2017. Updated April 16, 2018.
